Its a big season for Kev Young's lads. They are also in the Under 19 league competition which sees teams to the east of the Pennines compete with each before New Year. Then they split to take on their counterparts in the west. Top half v top half and bottom half v bottom half.
While all that is going on the lads are also figuring in the senior set-up - either for the firsts or the Stags
They've been turning out in numbers for training although there are still the odd ones who prefer to watch training and yet still manage to play on a Saturday. If they have any intention of seeing how far their abilities can take them they would be advised to follow the example of the likes of Cullinane, Tones, Milne, Rudd and Sawyer.
It will be interesting to see if training the the big lads has improved Kev Young's squad. He is boosted by Anth Carr's decision not to go wity his mates for a weekend in Blackpool to watch Pools. The big prop has already featured in most first team games as has full back Martin Todd and second row cum flanker. Fellow back row Will Richardson has stood in on the wing in recent weeks and will be looking forward to returning to the pack.
Phillip Wallis came on at fly half in the defeat by Morpeth and Paul Moss has shown he isn not out of place in senior rugby.